Latest news with #GardaKeane
Irish Times
30-07-2025
- Irish Times
Man (27) jailed for asking mother if he could have sex with her daughter (2)
A judge has jailed a man (27) for asking a mother on Snapchat if he could have sex with her two-year-old daughter. At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed an 18-month prison term on father-of-three Thomas Quinn, of Watery Road, Ennis, Co Clare, and with a bail address in Co Cork, for the offence committed on August 29th, 2020. Judge Comerford said there was an intent to harm a child, and the public understandably shows revulsion at this type of crime. He said there has been no admission by Quinn to the offence of communicating with the woman online for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of her then two-year-old girl. READ MORE A jury convicted Quinn of the offence at a trial at Ennis Circuit Court in May and the case was adjourned for sentencing. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Comerford said Quinn's crime was one of intent. He said Quinn's actions in the Snapchat exchange with the mother were 'irrational and impulsive'. He said: 'The child was never going to be in danger because her mother was always going to protect her.' He said he was going to put the offence in the lower level of such offending for one to four years in prison, where terms of up to 14 years can be imposed. There was 'an absence of direct or indirect consequence for the victim', he said and that the offence didn't seem to be in any way calculated. Garda Nadine Keane, who investigated the case, said the girl's mother came to Ennis Garda station to complain that Quinn had communicated via Snapchat and asked her if he could have sex with her two-year-old daughter. Counsel for the State Sarah-Jane Comerford BL said that in the Snapchat, Quinn asked the woman if he could 'feek' herdaughter. Ms Comerford saidthere is no dictionary definition for 'feek' but the woman understood that he wanted to have sex with her daughter. Later in the exchange, Quinn said 'if you let me, I would…' and persisted when asking 'but would you let me?' Garda Keane said the mother had known Quinn for a number of years and had been messaging him on and off for six months before August 29th, 2020. Garda Keane said the woman kept screenshots ofQuinn's request. Judge Comerford saidQuinn always denied making the comments and had argued that some third party had interposed themselves on his Snapchat. However, Judge Comerford said those denials were ' set at nought by really good police work'. He set a headline sentence of 26 months and reduced it to 18 months. Quinn is now on the sex offenders register and can be identified in the reporting of the case.
Sunday World
10-06-2025
- Sunday World
Teen (18) produced child pornography by sharing intimate images of girl (15), court told
As the female teenager was a minor at the time of the alleged offence, the man is also facing two charges under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act on November 15th 2022. A Clare teenager, just turned 18, posted a collage of intimate images of a 15 year old girl onto his Snapchat stories in a so-called Coco's Law prosecution, a court has heard. In the case before Kilrush District Court on Tuesday, the accused - now aged 20 - appeared in connection with being charged with three alleged offences over the posting of the intimate images in November 2022. Judge Alec Gabbett said that the case comes under Coco's Law, which is formally known as the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 which criminalises the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. In the case, the accused, aged 18 at the time, is charged with on November 15th 2022 publishing or distributing an intimate image of the female without her consent with the intention to cause her harm contrary to Section 2(1) and (3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2001. Stock image News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 10 As the female teenager was a minor at the time of the alleged offence, the man is also facing two charges under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act on November 15th 2022. The man is accused of knowingly having in his possession child pornography, the image of the female aged under 17 which, the charge says, depicts her genitals on the date. The man - accompanied to court by his mother and a sister - is also charged with producing child pornography for the purpose of distribution, publication, exportation, sale or show contrary to Section 5(1) of the Child Trafficking Act and Pornography Act1998. In court, Garda Nadine Keane, now of Roxboro Garda Station, Limerick said it will be alleged that the accused had in his possession a collage of four intimate images of the female on November 15th 2022 and posted them to his online Snapchat stories on the same date. Garda Keane said that one of the images depicting the girl's genitalia was a Category Two image as categorised under the Child Trafficking Act and Pornography Act. Judge Gabbett said that Category One would be regarded as the most serious followed by Category Two. Garda Keane said that the images were left online for a number of hours before they were taken down by the man who allegedly posted them. He continued by saying that the female - who turned 18 earlier this year - made a statement of complaint to Gardai and was interviewed by specialist Garda interviewers. The Garda said that the case was investigated by the Clare Division Protective Services Unit based at Crusheen. Garda Keane said that when charged at Kilrush Garda Station on May 29th, the accused made no reply after caution. He added that the DPP has directed that the case be heard in the district court on a plea of guilty only. After hearing an outline of the facts, Judge Gabbett said that he was declining district court jurisdiction and the case will now be transferred to the circuit court where more serious penalties apply on conviction. Judge Gabbett said that he was declining jurisdiction due to the seriousness of the alleged offences, the categorisation of the images and that the case warrants consideration by the circuit court taking into account the impact on the alleged injured party. The judge said that if the accused was aged under 18 at the time, he would have kept the case in the district court. In the district court, penalties for the Coco's Law offence can be up to one year on prison on conviction and Sgt John Burke said that before the circuit court, a 14 year prison term can apply on conviction. Judge Gabbett remanded the man on continuing bail to appear at Kilrush District Court to July 15th. Judge Gabbett imposed reporting restrictions on the identity of the accused and the injured party due to the age of the injured party at the time of the alleged offences.
